Method and means for finishing presser edge of straight knitting machines



Aug. 14, 1956 R. c.v BRAXTON 2,758,459

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FINISHING PRESSER EDGE OF STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 26, 1955 2 Sh6BtS-SheeI 1 RAM! C. BuAxToN;

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS g- 1956 R. c. BRAXTON ,758,459

- METHOD AND MEANS FOR FINISHING PRESSER EDGE OF STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Filed Sept. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR: RALPH C. BRAXTONJ iiav k ATTORNEYS United States Patent F METHOD AND MEANS FOR FINISHING PRESSER EDGE OF STRAIGHT KNITTING MACHINES Ralph C. Braxton, Burlington, N. C., assignor to Alamance Industries, Inc., of North Carolina Burlington, N. C., a corporation This invention relates to knitting machines of the straight or full-fashioned type and, more especially, to a method and means for refinishing the presser edge on the sinker head bottom of such machines, which presser edge has had undesirable grooves formed therein by the needles.

As is well known in the art, full-fashioned knitting machines include a plurality of alined knitting sections each comprising a front bed plate and a sinker head. The sinker head is spaced inwardly or rearwardly of the front bed plate and must be in accurate parallel relationship to the front bed plate. The usual sinker head comprises a plurality of parallel sinkers and dividers positioned between a sinker head top and a sinker head bottom and the front edge of the sinker head bottom serves as a presser edge which is engaged by the beards of the needles as the needles move downwardly to thereby close the beards to permit the needles to pass through previously formed stitches.

It is apparent that the beards of the needles engage the presser edge as each course is knit so the beards gradually wear grooves in the presser edge which, after a substantial period of time, become of such depth as to interfere with the normal operation of the needles. Heretofore it has been expensive and a time-consuming task to refinish the presser edge to remove the stock between adjacent grooves formed by the beards and provide a smooth uninterrupted presser edge on worn sinker head bottoms. This has required that the entire sinker head or all of the elements of the sinker heads be removed from each section of the full-fashioned knitting machine and that the mechanical driving connections for the various operating parts of the sinker head and the needles also be removed or, at least, disconnected from the sinker head. After the sinker head bottom has been removed from each section of a knitting machine, it has then been necessary to crate the sinker head bottom and ship it to the plant at which it was originally manufactured to be refinished. The refinishing operation could only be performed at the original plant in which the sinker head bottom was manufactured because of special jigs and grinding machines being required in order to maintain the desired degree of accuracy and finish to the presser edge.

After the presser edge has been refinished, it has, of course, been necessary to again crate the sinker head bottom and return it to the knitting plant after which it has been a laborious and painstaking task to again install the sinker head bottom in proper alinement on the knitting machine. Not only has the refinishing process been time-consuming, and expensive, but this has also rendered the knitting machine inoperative for a period of three and one-half to four weeks with a resultant loss in production. w It is an object of this invention to provide an improved 1 2,758,459 Patented Aug. 14, 195% chine without removing the sinker head bottom and adjacent parts of the sinker head from the machine.

It is another object of this invention to provide a method of refinishing the presser edge of the sinker head bottoms of a plurality of alined knitting sections of a knitting machine which includes positioning an abrading machine upon the front bed plate of the full-fashioned knitting machine and guiding the abrading machine longitudinally of the front bed plate with the abrading wheel of the machine engaging and removing stock from the presser edge of the sinker head bottom to thereby insure that the presser edge is maintained in accurate parallel relationship to the front bed plate.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a method as above set forth which further includesthe step of adjusting the abrading wheel toward the presser edge of the sinker head bottom at the end of each stroke of the abrading machine longitudinally of the front bed plate until the required amount of stock has been removed from the presser edge to thereby provide a smooth uninterrupted surface to the presser edge on each of all of the sinker head bottoms of any given full-fashioned knitting machine. 7 Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description pro-' ceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- "Figure 1 is a transverse vertical sectional view through,

a full-fashioned knitting machine, with many of the parts thereof omitted, and showing the improved abrading apparatus mounted on the front bed plate thereof;

means and method for refinishing the presser edge of the sinker head bottom of a full-fashioned knitting ma- "Figure 2 is afragmentary andsomewhat schematic plan view of the grinding or abrading apparatus shown in Figure 1 and illustrating the relationship between the front bed plate and the sinker head;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary and somewhat schematic view similar to the upper central portion of Figure l; V

Figure 4 is an isometric view of the carriage for .the abrading machine, with parts broken away. 7

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and espe-, cially to Figure l, the full-fashioned knitting machine comprises a frame broadly designated at 10 and which includes a plurality of standards 11, only one of which is shown in Figure 1. The frame also includes a front beam 12 and a back beam 13 on its lower portion and a front bed plate 14 and a center bed plate 15 on its upper portion. The knitting machine is provided with the usual drive shaft 16, cam shaft 17, hand wheel shaft 20, presser shaft 21, needle bar shaft 22 and back catch bar shaft 23, all of which shafts extend longitudinallyof the machine and function in the usual manner. The needle bar shaft 22and the back catch bar shaft 23 oscillate during the knitting of each course to impart vertical and inward and outward movement to a conventional needle bar 24 and a conventional catch bar 25, respectively. The needle bar 24 has the usual bearded or barbed needles 26 projecting upwardly therefrom which cooperate with sinkers 27, dividers 30 and knock-over bits 31 in forming stitches. The sinkers 27 and dividers 30 are parts of a sinker head broadly designated at 32, which sinker head also includes a sinker head top 33 and a sinker head bottom 34. The sinker head bottom has a narrow longitudinally extending presser edge 35 on its front surface which is disposed in parallel relation to and slightly above the level of the front bed plate 14. As

is usual, the oscillation of the catch bar shaft 23 imparts movement to the sinkers 27 and dividers 30. The usual jacks 37 serve to advance the sinkers 27 in succession as yarn is introduced by the usual yarn carriers, not shown, so the yarn is laid in a corrugated course between alternate needles 26. Many other elements of the machine are instrumental to the knitting operation, but have been omitted, since they form no part of the present invention.

Reference may be had to Patents Nos. 1,730,023 1,761,- 381; 2,080,353; and 1,978,409 for a further disclosure of various parts of a knitting machine disposed in the immediate area of the sinker head 32 of the present drawings and which patents illustrate many of the elements of a knitting machine which may have to be removed and/or rearranged in order to facilitate the removal of an installation of a sinker head bottom such as that indicated at 34 in the present drawings. A machine of the character illustrated in the present drawings is also illustrated and described in a booklet copyrighted 194i) by Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pennsylvania, and entitled, The Reading High-Production Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine. Accordingly, a further detailed description of the knitting machine is deemed unnecessary.

It is "apparent, from the foregoing description, that a substantial number of parts of a knitting machine must be removed and/or displaced in order to'facilitate removal of the sinker head bottom 34 for the purpose of refinishing the presser edge 35 once it has been worn by-e'ngagement of the beards of the needles 26 therewith, as has heretofore been the case. For example, among other parts, it has been necessary to remove the-catch bar, the entire sinker head 32, including the sinkers -27, thedividers 30, the sinker head top 33 and-the-sinker head bottom 34 and it has been necessary to remove-or, at least, to displace the jacks 37. As previously stated, it has then been necessary to carefully pack or cratethe sinker head bottom 34, ship it to the plant at which it was originally manufactured to have the presser edge 35 refinished and to then reinstall the same in the knitting machine, all of which has been quite expensive and has resulted in a considerable loss in production. The present method and apparatus greatly reduces the period during which a knitting machine is inoperative as a result of refinishing the presser edge of the sinker head bottom 34 primarily because of the fact that it is not necessary to remove the sinker head bottom from the machine. Accordingly, practically all of the parts of the machine may remain attached to the machine duringthe refinishing of the presser edge of the sinker head bottom.

In order to carry out the improved method of refinishing the presser edge of the sinker head bottorn'of a plurality of knitting sections of a given full-fashioned knitting machine simultaneously, without removing the sinker head bottom from the knitting machine, there is provided a carriage broadly designated at-' 40 which is guided for longitudinal movement on the front bed plate 14, as will be later described, and the carriage 40 .has an abrading-machine broadly designated at 41 mounted thereon and movable therewith which includes an abrading wheel 42 which is rotated about a vertical axis above the level of the front bed plate 14 and inalinementwith the presser edge 35 of the sinker head bottorn'34. The

abrading apparatus or machine 41 is manually-:moved with the carriage 40 longitudinally of the front'bed plate 14 and means are provided for minutely adjusting the abrading machine 41 forwardly and rearwardly or transversely of the front bed plate 14 to insure that exactly the desired amount of stock is removed from the presser edge 35 during the course of each stroke of the abrading machine 41 longitudinally of. the front bed plate 14, all of which will be presently described in detail.

The abrading machine 41 comprises a reversible electric motor 45 having a handle 46 projecting from one end thereof through which a cable 47 extends, the cable 47 containing wires or conductors 50, 51 which le'ad from the electric motor45 and are adapted to be connected to a suitable source of electrical energy, not shown. 'Inter-,

posed in the circuit to the electric motor 45 is a"push.-'

button start and stop switch S2. and a reversing toggle switch 53, the former being normally open and closed when manually depressed by the operator and the latter being of the usual two position type for efiiecting rotation of the abrading wheel 42 in either direction, depending upon the direction of movement of the abrading machine 41 longitudinally of the front bed plate 14. The motor 45 drives suitable gearing, not shown, disposed within a housing 55 which gearing, in turn, drives a vertical shaft54 onthe lower portion of which the abrading wheel 42 is suitably secured as by a nut 56. Since there are many different types of motors and grinding or abrading machines of substantially the type described available on the market, a further detailed description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The carriage 40 comprises a main base or plate having a rectangular cut-out or recessed portion 57 to freely receive the nut 56 for the grinding wheel 42. The outer :and inner edgesof the main base 60 are provided withrespective downwardly projecting guide bars 61, 62 thereon which are adapted to fit against the respective outer and inner edges of the front bed plate 14 for accurately guiding the main base 69 longitudinally of the front bed plate 14. The guide bar 62 has its medial portion-cut-away'to freely receive the nut 56 holding the grinding wheel when'the abrading device is positioned lower relative-to the carriage 40 than the position shown in-Figure 3. Themain base 60 has a pair of transverse guidesor ,gibs 64, 65 fixed thereon between which an auxiliary base or plate 66 is mounted for transverse sliding movement upon the main base 60. The auxiliary base 66 is provided with an arcuate recess 67 on its inner edge foraccommodating the abrading wheel 42 since the abrading wheel is positioned closely above the main base 60.

The auxiliary base 66 also has a slot 70 in its central portion upwardly through which a block 71 extends from the main base 60. The block 71 may be integral with or otherwise attached to the main base 60. A threaded shaft 72' loosely. penetrates the block 71 and has collars 73, '74 i'fixed thereon engaging the inner and outersurfaces *of :the block 71. The shaft extends outwardly and is threaded through a nut or block 75 integral with or suitably secured to the outer or front portion of the auxiliary'b'ase'66-and the outermost end of the shaft 72 preferably has a reduced rectangular portion 76 thereon which is adapted to be engaged by a suitable wrench for turning *the-shaft 72 and to thereby adjust the auxiliary base 66' inwardly and outwardly relative to the main base 60.

Theabrading machine 41 may be secured to the auxiliary base 66 by any suitable means and, since the motor 45'=thereof is circular in cross-section, it will be observed in Figure 1 that the auxiliary base 65 is provided with a 'pairof spaced upright threaded posts 77, 78 whose lower portions straddle the nut 75 and on whose medial portions a pair of upper and lower clamping members 80, 81 areloosely mounted. The central portions of the clampingmembers 80, 81 are preferably curved to conform"substantially to the curvature of the upper and lower-portions of the motor 45 of the abrading machine 41. In order to insure that the abrading machine 41 is accurately positioned above the main base 60, the lower su'rfacesof opposite end portions of the lower clamping mer'hber81 are positioned upon nuts 82 threaded on lower medial portions of the posts 76, 77 and the upper clamping member is secured against the upper'surface of'the motor 45 of the abrading machine 41 by nuts 84 threaded on the "upper ends of the posts 77, 78. It is apparenfthat the nuts 82 may be adjusted for accurately positioning" the abrading machine 41 on the desired level to insurethat the abrading wheel 42. is properly horizontally 'alined with the level of the presser edge 35 of the sinker head bottom 34.

To further insure that the abrading, machine 41 is properly supported, it will be observed that the auxiliary base 66 has a pair of upwardiy and inwardly converging braces 86, 87 suitably secured thereto, or integral therewith, and the upper ends of these braces 86, 87 have respective vertically extending slots 90 therein, each of which is penetrated by a screw 91 threaded into the gear housing 55 for securing the gear housing 55 of the abrading machine 41 to the braces 86, 87. The slots 90 permit vertical adjustment of the gear housing 53 with the motor 45.

In order to carry out the improved method of refinishing the presser edge 35 of the sinker head bottom 34 in the particular type of knitting machine illustrated in the drawings, before the carriage 40 and abrading machine 41 are mounted upon the front bed plate 14, it is necessary to remove the usual welt bar bridges, not shown, from the front bed plate and to then operate the machine to move the needles 26 and needle bar 24 to their lowermost positions. The usual connections to the bar supporting the knock-over bits are removed and the knockover bits 31 are then also moved to the lowest position in order to clear the abrading wheel 42. It is also necessary to move the jacks 37 rearwardly so the sinkers 27 and dividers 30 may be manually moved rearwardly between the sinker head top 33 and the sinker head bottom 34 to be out of the path of operation of the abrading wheel 42. Generally, these are the only parts of the knitting machine which must be disconnected or moved, as the case may be, in order to facilitate refinishing the presser edge 35 with the improved apparatus.

The carriage 40 with the abrading machine 41 thereon is then positioned upon the front bed plate 14 in the manner heretofore described and as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3. Of course, the abrading machine 41 is adjusted to the proper level to correspond with the presser edge 35 and the auxiliary base 66 is adjusted to permit the abrading wheel 42 to remove approximately two to three thousandths of an inch of stock from the presser edge 35 with each stroke thereof longitudinally of the presser edge 35 and the front bed plate 14. The operator then grasps the handle 46, depresses the push-button 42 to effect rotation to the abrading wheel 42 and then moves the abrading machine 41 and carriage 40 longitudinally of the front bed plate 14 for refinishing the presser edge 35. This procedure is repeated as many times as is necessary to remove the desired amount of stock from the presser edge 35 to properly refinish the same. It is apparent that, regardless of the number of knitting sections in a particular machine, the abrading machine 41 and carriage 40 may be moved the entire length of the machine during the refinishing operation. Although it is not essential, it is preferable that the reversing switch 53 is moved from one position to the other at the end of each stroke of the abrading machine 41 so the abrading wheel 42 rotates in one direction with alternate strokes of the abrading machine 41 and rotates in the opposite direction with intervening strokes of the abrading machine 41, in order to avoid forcing the sinker head bottom to move longitudinally in either direction, since rotation of the abrading wheel 42 always in the same direction with each stroke of the abrading machine 41, may tend to move the sinker head 32 in the direction in which the force is applied to the presser edge by the abrading wheel 42.

When the refinishing operation has been completed, it is merely necessary to rearrange and reassemble those parts which had previously been disarranged and disassembled, as heretofore described. It may also be necessary to adjust the sinker head 32 to insure that it is accurately positioned the required distance from the inner or rear edge of the front bed plate 14 to insure proper operation of the knitting instrumentalities.

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved method and apparatus for refinishing the presser edges of fullfashioned knitting machines which obviates the necessity of removing the sinker head or any parts thereof from the knitting machine and wherein only a minimum of parts of the knitting machine may be disarranged or disassembled prior to the refinishing process and then rearranged and reassembled after the refinishing process and which refinishing process may be performed in a small fraction of the time heretofore required, as well as obviating the necessity of crating and shipping the sinker head bottom as has heretofore been required. It is apparent that this results in a substantial reduction in the cost of refinishing the presser edges of full-fashioned knitting machines and also substantially reduces the loss of production of the knitting machine while the refinishing process is being performed. By way of example,

the process of refinishing the presser edge 35 of a sinker head bottom 34 has required from three and one-half to four weeks of time of a knitting machine, the improved method and apparatus facilitates the refinishing of the presser edges 35 of a given knitting machine having thirty-two knitting sections, for example, of not more than forty-eight hours or two days.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims;

i claim:

1. That method of refinishing presser edges of fullfashioned knitting machines wherein the presser edges are spaced from and extend in parallel relation to a front bed plate which includes positioning an abradingdevice upon the front bed plate, moving the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate while passing the abrading wheel of the device in engagement with the presser edge to remove stock therefrom and adjusting the abrading device toward the presser edge relative to the front bed plate at the end of each stroke of the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate so as to remove an additional amount of stock from the presser edge with each successive stroke of the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate.

2. The method of refinishing presser edges of sinker head bottom-s of full-fashioned knitting machines Wherein the presser edges are spaced from and extend in parallel relation to a front bed plate which includes positioning an abrading device upon the front bed plate with its abrading wheel rotating in a vertical plane, moving the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate while passing the abrading wheel of the device in engagement with the presser edge to remove stock therefrom and adjusting the abrading wheel toward the presser edge relative to the front bed plate at the end of each stroke of the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate so as to remove an additional amount of stock tom the presser edge with each successive stroke of the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate.

3. The method of refinishing presser edges of fullfashioned knitting machines wherein the presser edges are spaced from and extend in parallel relation to a front bed plate which includes positioning an abrading device upon the front bed plate, and moving the abrading device longitudinally of the front bed plate while passing the abrading wheel of the device in engagement with the presser edge to remove stock therefrom.

4. An apparatus for refinishing the presser edge of a sinker head bottom of a full-fashioned knitting machine wherein the knitting machine is provided with a front bed plate spaced forwardly of the presser edge and extending in parallel relation to the presser edge, said apparatus comprising an abrading machine including an electric motor, a shaft extending from the electric motor in substantially vertical position and an abrading Wheel fixed on said shaft, means for guiding the abrading machine longitudinally upon the front bed plate, and rneansfor adjusting the abrading machineforwardly and rearwardly-of thefront bed plate to accurately determine the amount of stock to be removed from the presser edge with each movement of the abrading machine longitudinally of the front bed plate.

5. Apparatus for refinishing the presser edge of a sinker head bottom of a full-fashioned knitting machine, said knitting machine having a front-bed plate extending longitudinally of and spaced forwardly from the prcsser edge and extending in parallel relation to the presser edge and also having its upper surface on a slightly lower level than the presser edge; said apparatus comprising an abrading machine having an elongated body, a shaft driven by the machine and projecting downwardly therefrom for rotation about a vertical axis, an abrading wheel fixed on said shaft, a carriage for supporting said body, means on said carriage for fitting against the longitudinal front-and rear edges of the front bed plate for guiding the carriage longitudinally of the front bed plate, means to vertically adjust the abrading.

machine relative to the carriage to aline the periphery of the abrading wheel with the presser edge, and means for adjusting the abrading machine transversely of the front bed plate and relative to the carriage.

6. In a full-fashioned knitting machine havingla sinker head bottom provided with a presser edge and also having a front bed plate extending longitudinally and spaced in parallel relation to the presser edge and having its upper surface disposed on a lower level than that of the resser-edge, the combination therewithof-a earriagecomprising-a main'base movable upon the front bed plate,- downwardly projecting portions on the front and rear-portions of the main base for snugly engaging the respective front and rear surfaces of the front bed plate to guide the carriage longitudinally of the front bed plate, an auxiliary base mounted for rearward and forward movement on the main base, threaded means for adjusting the auxiliary base forwardly and rearwardly relative to the main base, an .abrading machine carried by the auxiliary base and movable therewith, said abrading machine having a vertical shaft driven thereby and extending downwardly therefrom inwardly of and above the level of the main base, and an abracling wheel fixed on said shaft and engageable with the presser edge for removing stock therefrom as the carriage is moved longitudinally of said front bed plate.

7. A structure according to claim 6 wherein means are provided for vertically adjusting the abrading machine relative to the auxiliary base.

8. A structure according to claim 6 wherein said abrading machine includes a motor, a pair of spaced posts fixed to and projecting upwardly from the auxiliary base and straddling said motor, upper and lower clamping members engaging respective upper and lower surfaces of the motor and having their opposite ends mounted for vertical adjustment upon the respective posts.

No references cited. 

